The rise in the number of deaths caused by hepatitis makes the disease a global health threat on the level of tuberculosis and HIV, according to a World Health Organization report. The data, presented at the International Liver Congress, showed a 22% increase in deaths resulting from chronic hepatitis B and C from 2000 to
There is an old saying that brains are baffled by the end product of a bull’s digestion. But a similar product, from carefully selected human donors, might reduce recurrent hepatic encephalopathy in liver disease patients and protect their brains, according to Jasmohan Bajaj, MD, of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. “This is the first
Researchers find doctors spent an average of 3.08 hours on direct patient care and 3.17 hours on the computer during any given workday. The time spent on the electronic record varied greatly between physicians. Despite this, the time doctors spent online has increased steadily over the years. Progress notes accounted for the largest chunk of
Are the Russians still getting to you? A recent report suggests a 320% increase in the number of health care providers affected by hacking incidents from 2015 to 2016. Researchers also found that HHS’ Office for Civil Rights received more than $23.5 million last year in settlements for HIPAA violations that occurred in 2012 and
Biomarkers of liver injury may persist after hepatitis C treatment
A biomarker of liver damage may persist after hepatitis C treatment: About one-third of patients who were successfully treated to eliminate the hepatitis C virus continued to exhibit liver inflammation, a German study showed. The findings include people who took direct-acting antiviral (DAA) drugs, the current preferred therapy for the virus. “This is the first
Doctors should also follow up on CRC (colorectal cancer) symptoms in younger adults: Sarah DeBord was 24 when she first noticed blood in her stool. She saw a gastroenterologist who did a procedure called a flexible sigmoidoscopy to examine her lower colon and rectum, then gave her a diagnosis of hemorrhoids. “I don’t see any
Study links extended antibiotic use to higher risk of colon polyps A study in the journal Gut found women who took oral antibiotics for at least two weeks in their 20s through 50s increased their risk of colon polyps in their 60s, compared with not taking the drugs for extended periods of time. “This suggests
Are home gut microbiome test kits reliable?
- For Medical Professionals
- General GI
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Microbiome
- Nutrition
Experts question value of at-home gut microbiome test kits The idea that different types of bacteria in the human gut play a role in health and disease is driving a new trend in consumer-oriented health-care kits. Startups are offering new services to analyze the complex community of microörganisms that live in the digestive tract—called the
Report: US physician shortage likely to worsen A recent Association of American Medical Colleges report predicts that the US physician shortage will get worse and a deficit of between 40,800 and 104,900 doctors will occur by 2030. Shortages will affect primary care, surgical specialties and medical specialties, including gastroenterology, but telemedicine, new drugs and other
Sarah Murthi, MD, stood between an ultrasound monitor and a University of Maryland student supine on a medical bed at the Newseum here. Clad in a pink scrub, the University of Maryland School of Medicine trauma surgeon demonstrated a new way to view ultrasound images as a dozen or so onlookers stared and occasionally chuckled.
